Recipients and weanlings for under $1000

There has been a increase in cattle embryo production nationwide, fueled by the growth in IVF; however, the expansion of recipient numbers has not kept pace with these embryos. The few places that offer recipients have high costs that limit its availability and impact on the industry. Carrying costs for a beef recipient limit how cost effective they can be, because they are a net liability until a calf is sold. However, dairy cows still produce milk and generate income prior to selling an upcoming calf, and can be used as a recip for less money. In the past, dairies needed all the heifer calves they produced to maintain herd numbers. However, with the widespread use of sexed semen, there is now an excess of replacement heifers in the country and prices have gone below cost of producing these heifers. Add to that day old Holstein bull calves selling for near nothing, and dairies now are looking for ways to maximize the value of a pregnancy other than making more Holstein calves. There are some dairies that are identifying the cows and heifers they want replacements out of, and then breeding everything else to beef semen to maximize value of that calf.

BRS has identified this new opportunity and wants to help dairy producers and beef producers maximize their financial potential. Most dairies do not feed calves well enough while they are on milk to maximize gains like beef producers expect. We at BRS insist on feeding to maximize growth and optimize the health of our calves. Calves are taken to the BRS facility and raised on the bottle. BRS has a small dairy that supplies the milk for the calves, which are fed 3 quarts of whole milk 3 times per day (over 2 gallons of high quality milk per day), and have access to calf starter grain and hay ad lib. Daily gains average 2.4-3.2 lbs per day, and calves can be kept on bottle as long as producer requires. Most producers elect to wean between 100-120 days, with most calves averaging between 350-500 lbs. Death loss is less than 1%.

BRS has its own herd and contracts with a local large well run client dairy producer to offer recipients year round. BRS transfers the embryos (fresh and frozen, In-Vivo and IVF), pregnancy checks the recips with ultrasound and picks up the calves and processes them daily from the dairy (birth weights, Inforce intranasal). Calves are housed at BRS facility in Galeton, Colorado.